Richmond great Brendon Gale named as Tasmania Devils AFL club inaugural chief executive

Brendon Gale, the architect behind Richmond’s premiership dynasty, will become the inaugural chief executive officer of the Tasmania Football Club.

The announcement came the same afternoon Gale announced his departure as Richmond CEO at the end of the 2024 season.

The 55-year-old, who hails from Burnie on Tasmania’s north-west coast, helped turn Richmond from perennial battlers to a footballing force on and off the field.

Under his reign, the Tigers won three premierships during a golden span that begun in 2017 and peaked with the 2020 flag, while signing up 100,000 members.

He will commence in his role with Tasmania early in the new year, and be responsible for transitioning the fledgling club from its foundation phase into its operational phase.

Gale will make key appointments including football department staff, which will shape the team’s inaugural playing list ahead of its first game in 2028.

He will also spearhead the club’s involvement in the construction of its new home — a 23,000 seat roofed stadium at Hobart’s Macquarie Point.

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Tasmania Devils chair Grant O’Brien said Gale’s appointment represented “an enormous vote of confidence in our club”.

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“Brendon is fully committed to focusing on completing his role at the Richmond Football Club in the same professional manner that has been a feature of his leadership at the club,” Mr O’Brien said.